News Roundup

Tuesday, 02 February 2010

Climate change science has been dealt another blow by the revelation that University of East Anglia professor Phil Jones knowingly used flawed evidence in one of his studies. How many more revelations like this will we have before the scientific community learn the lesson that transparency is the only way to ensure public trust?
Meanwhile, a man not especially reknowned for his valuing of science, Pope Benedict, has been condemning UK equality laws. Some people are more equal than others in the eye of God, it would seem.
Talking of equality, Gordon Brown appears to have finally come off the fence when it comes to electoral reform. The Alternative Vote system isn't proportional but it would mean all MPs would have to command a majority and it would mean fewer wasted votes. The Lib Dem response, as Stephen Tall points out, has been a "stinging welcome". It would appear that the government will be announcing support for a whole host of amendments to the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill today, including ones regarding Lords reform and excluding non-doms from Parliament.
The latest ComRes/Independent poll confirms that the gap in support between the main parties has narrowed in recent weeks, with the public deeply confused about what passes for David Cameron's economic policy. Interestingly, Tory support amongst men is currently much higher than Tory support amongst women.